Super League's transfer window to change with revised date set to make new signings

[josie andrews]

There will be a big change to recruitment rules, which will come into play later this year.

Super League's transfer window has been altered, allowing clubs to sign players up to a full year before they can join the club. Rugby League Live can reveal that changes have been approved which will see the May 1st deadline moved, with clubs now able to sign players as soon as they're in the final 12 months of their contract.

From this year, players will be free to negotiate deals with rival clubs once they're in the final 12 months of their contract, which, in almost all cases, is December 1st. As a result, it means players can now agree to sign for a rival club before the season they are preparing for has even begun.

It means the regulations fall in line with those in the NRL, and one benefit of the change is that it will allow Super League clubs to negotiate deals for players commanding interest down under at the same time, whereas they are currently supposed to wait until May 1st.

Over time, both agents and club administrators have admitted that the May 1st deadline isn't adhered to, with the new rulings allowing all clubs to begin doing business for the year after.

The ruling will only apply for full-time players though. For part-time players, the deadline will remain May 1st.

The change will likely split opinion, with some believing that May 1st was too early for deals to be completed as it meant players could viably play the majority of a season while knowing they would depart at the end of the year.


https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/ru ... 4776833d50